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Nitrogen Cycle Vocab
six Nitrogen Cycle terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
nitrogen fixation | a process in which nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere is converted into ammonium (NH4+) or nitrogen dioxide (NO2) |
denitrification | a process where bacteria reduce nitrates into nitrogen gas (N2) |
decomposer | organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms |
ammonification | When a plant or animal dies or an animal expels waste, the initial form of nitrogen is organic. Bacteria or fungi convert the organic nitrogen within the remains back into ammonium (NH4+) in this process. |
nitrification | the process by which soil-living bacteria converts ammonia (NH4) to nitrate (NO3) |
legume | a family of plants (beans & peas) that are notable in that most of them have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in structures called root nodules |